Arizona Attorney General Warns of Rights Forfeited by Sending Kids to Private Schools: The Cost of Arizona's School Voucher Experiment
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is warning families about the potential rights forfeited when using the state's "Empower Scholarship Accounts" (ESA vouchers) for private schools. Families using ESA funds give up guaranteed and free public education for children with disabilities, as well as the right to access their child's educational records. Mayes emphasizes that families should not be denied admission or expelled from private schools due to a child's disabilities. The state superintendent of public instruction, Tom Horne, assures that special education students receive the same funding as they would in traditional public schools and steps are being taken to prevent fraud. However, families are encouraged to be aware of their rights before leaving the public school system.